Lena Beug approaches storytelling with a keen observational eye, both for the mundane and the surreal.
She has received praise for her ability to develop grounded performances and subtly reveal the natural humor in life. Her art direction and use of color is simultaneously stylized and anchored in reality.
Born and raised in western Ireland without a television set, isolation fueled Lena’s creativity and her eye for a slightly deranged-yet-sweet realism. “Everyday life is really quite funny,” she says, “You don’t need to make stuff up. You need only to observe it.”
Lena has collaborated with a wide range of brands, including a recent rebrand for Walmart, campaigns for Google, Home Depot, Credit Karma and Visa. Other highlights are the stylized and energetic “Certified Story Time” for GMC, La-Z-Boy’s rebranding campaign with Kristen Bell, the charming “Meet Emma” for Ebay and heart-tugging “Family” for Vodafone.
Her branded short for Harper’s Bazaar, “For the Love of Gabrielle” features actress Annabelle Dexter-Jones in an endearingly funny performance about a Chanel bag that was celebrated by the media, including Adweek which featured it as Ad of the Day. She’s won some awards and had some articles written about her.
Lena began her career as an art director for MTV’s On-Air Design department, overseeing multiple channel redesigns. She co-created and directed the viral Christmas hit “Merry XXXLMAS,” which was voted the funniest video of the year by Rolling Stone.
Before landing that initial gig with MTV, Lena worked as a photographer’s assistant, a babysitter, and at the prepared foods counter at Dean & DeLuca. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her teenagers. When not directing, she writes and tries to keep her plants alive.
